


Like Father, Like Son

by tess_genor



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, F/M, Parenthood, Pre-Canon, Pregnant Jessica Whitly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-02-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:46:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22555801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tess_genor/pseuds/tess_genor
Summary: “Malcom, I hope you turn out like your father and not a wreck like me.” Jessica says.”Oh, come on now, Jessica. You don’t mean that.” Martin is careful with his words. He wants to accept the compliment, but is cautious of upsetting his wife.”I do though. Look at you. You’re perfect.” Jessica is no longer fighting with Martin, rather she is fighting to stay awake.”I am nowhere near perfect.” Martin’s voice darkens suddenly, but Jessica misses it.
Relationships: Jessica Whitly/Martin Whitly, Malcolm Bright & Martin Whitly
Comments: 4
Kudos: 39





	Like Father, Like Son

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to Tori and Emily for the beta! Martin living his ideal double life is so interesting to me. What _is_ it like to live with a killer and not know?

Dr. Martin Whitly runs up the stairs to his house. He hates these twelve hour shifts now more than ever. His beautiful wife was home alone, pregnant with their first child. One would think that a doctor would be better prepared for their first kid, but Martin has been constantly beside himself with worry recently. God forbid anything happen to his wife or child.

As soon as he’s within the walls of his house he rushes to the master bedroom, where he finds Jessica already in bed. Only when he processes that she’s alright does his heart come back down to a normal rate that doesn’t concern him as a cardiothoracic specialist. Jessica looks up from her book and smiles gently at the panicked man in the doorway.

”Martin, dear, you worry too much.” Jessica closes the book and pats the space next to her. Martin walks to the side of the bed, hands folded in front of him as though he’s embarrassed by his panic. “The two of us are just fine. Come here, I want a kiss.” Scooting up to fully sit against the headboard, Jessica tilts her head to meet Martin’s lips.

”You look stunning, Jess.” Martin pulls away to lean close to her stomach. It’s nearing the end of her second trimester and Martin knows how conscious Jessica is of her shape. Suddenly she grabs his hand and places it on her stomach.

”Looks like someone is excited to get a visit from their dad. Are you happy daddy’s home, Malcom?” Jessica’s voice is filled with a love that moves through Martin. He leans down and plants a kiss on her belly. Jessica laughs lightly. 

”Hi there, little one.” Martin’s voice is muffled, mouth still pressed to Jessica’s stomach. “You’ve got quite a powerful kick there. Better not hurt your mother.” His joke earns him a small smack on the arm from his wife. Grinning, Martin turns to look at Jessica. “You know what? On second thought, give her all you got.” 

Pushing up from the bed, Martin crosses to the other side of the room, with a little hop in his step. Jessica assumes that it’s giddiness from feeling Malcolm kicking. ”You’re crazy, you know that right?” Jessica calls to him. He’s shedding his work clothes for some flannel pants. Jessica rakes her eyes down his back and tries for another playful insult. “In those pants you really do look like a father.”

This seems to get Martin’s attention and he turns around, eyes darting between Jessica and the floor beneath his feet. “Yes, I know.” Martin makes no attempt to clarify which jab he’s responding to. Jessica is always looking for attention and conversation. Is it not enough he’s a doting husband and father to be? Must she always take up his time with pointless words, when he would much rather be in his study? Martin wishes that for once in her life, Jessica would drop the act. No one is here to watch them, there’s no need for this calculated display of affection. His whole demeanor changes and Jessica shrugs it off. Neither of them are above mood swings, with her hormones and his long and stressful hours. 

”I’m going to make dinner. Do you want anything?” Martin is already down the hallway not caring to hear Jessica’s response. They run through this routine every night. Martin comes home in a panic. Jessica assures him that everything is fine. They’ll have a normal conversation before one of them decides they’ve had enough of their spouse and it’ll fall quiet. Martin will go to eat and offer Jessica food, which she always turns down. Martin will eat alone and then bring Jessica a cup of tea. He’ll spend the next few hours in his study in the basement and she’ll read a bit more before falling asleep. Martin will join her and leave for work without her even knowing he was in bed with her.

Martin is thankful for the space Jessica gives him when it comes to his study. It’s not that she is squeamish when it comes to blood, hell she had even watched the last surgery of his residency. But Jessica knows that sometimes Martin needs an isolated location to really focus on his research. Plus, now that she is far along in her pregnancy, Martin had told her that anytime Jessica goes up or down the stairs to the basement it worries him. Jessica says nothing about all the stairs necessary to get to their bedroom. She knows better and leaves it alone.

This night Martin only spends an hour in the basement and doesn’t bring Jessica the usual cup of tea. Jessica falls asleep while waiting for Martin, but the sound of his voice and the creak of his footsteps on the stairs are enough to stir her from her light sleep.

”Are you available to pick it up tomorrow? Of course I understand it’s short notice, but I can’t just have it sitting here.” Martin’s voice is more tense than usual and Jessica turns the lights on to let her husband know she is still awake. “Hold on a second, Paul.” Martin’s voice is louder now. “Jessie, you mind if I have a colleague over tomorrow night? He’s going to help me move some journals to the hospital.”

”That should be fine, Martin. I have that gala for HIV awareness so I won’t be back until after nine or so anyway.” Jessica groans. She is more than happy to donate and normally she loves a good gala, but she hates all her maternity gowns. She resents having to go out in public in a dress that doesn’t flatter her.

”Thanks, dear. Paul, are you still there? Okay, so tomorrow is fine? Perfect. Nope, everything’s already in order, just need to move the boxes. Alright, make sure you page me before. See you tomorrow.” Martin’s face is full of life as he enters the bedroom.

”Glad to see your spirits are up.” Jessica mumbls, half out of resentment and half out of exhaustion. She tosses back the quilt for Martin and he practically jumps on to the bed. Martin rolls to face Jessica and kisses her cheek.

”I’m sorry about before. I’m stressed with this new technique I’ve been advocating for and I’m not sure if it’ll get approved. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.” His breath is warm against her face. Jessica turns to him, eyes glassy, pain easily read on her face. Martin sits up on his arm, hand gently cupping her cheek. “Jess, what’s the matter?” Martin’s voice is soft. He’s been through this enough times. He can read her body language and adjust his actions accordingly. His wife is upset about something, he just doesn’t know what.

”Are we really prepared to be parents, Martin?” Fear spills over from Jessica and floods into Martin. “I mean, I know we will do whatever is necessary for this baby, but what if we do something wrong?” Jessica cries and turns away from Martin, he moves his hand from her face to her side. “I don’t mean to be like this.” Her breath shudders. Hastily she wipes her eyes and laughs wrly. “God. I’m sorry.” She forces a deep breath and repositions her head to a more comfortable position while laying on her side. “Malcom, I hope you turn out like your father and not a wreck like me.”

”Oh, come on now, Jessica. You don’t mean that.” Martin is careful with his words. He wants to accept the compliment, but is cautious of upsetting his wife.

”I do though. Look at you. You’re perfect.” Jessica is no longer fighting with Martin, rather she is fighting to stay awake.

”I am nowhere near perfect.” Martin’s voice darkens suddenly, but his wife misses it.

”No, Martin, I mean it. Look at what you’ve accomplished. You put yourself through college, through medical school. Graduated at the top of your class. Now you’re a world renowned surgeon. You’re in the elite circle of New York.” Jessica is awed by the man in bed with her.

”I married the most beautiful woman in the world and now I’m starting a family with her.” Martin rolls to his side to wrap Jessica in an embrace.

Jessica laughs. “See what I mean? What a charmed life you lead, Dr. Whitly. You’re perfect.”

”Only the best for you, Mrs. Whitly. I wouldn’t dream about starting a family with you if I didn’t think we could handle it.” Martin worms his head closer to hers so that with every breath he blows hot puffs of air across Jessica’s neck, making her shiver with each exhale. His arm is draped carefully over hers, hand softly caressing her stomach.

”I really do hope our son turns out just like you, Martin.” Jessica murmurs. She relaxes into his soft frame.

”Jess, I don’t know. I want him to be his own man. Hopefully he will get the best of both of us.” Martin desperately wants Jessica to go to sleep. He wants to talk to his son without her eavesdropping on a private conversation.

”I’m serious, Marty.” Martin rolls his eyes. He always hated that nickname. “I want Malcolm to be a perfect image of his father.”

Martin stays quiet, he doesn’t want this conversation to go on any longer than it has to. Granted he normally spends longer in the basement, but he thought Jessica would have been asleep by now. Martin is not used to having to wait this long to talk to his son. He lies there waiting for the moment he can feel her breathing shift to slow, deep breaths, signifying she’s asleep. Doing his best not to wake his sleeping wife, Martin’s hand moves from its comfortable place of resting on the side of Jessica’s belly to holding the front of her. His fingers spread and curl around her stomach protectively. If he could claw his way inside her and hold Malcolm himself he would. This is _his_ son and he’d be damned if he didn’t have a hand in Malcolm’s development. Both embryonically and as a person.

”Malcolm, it’s me. Your father.” Martin smiles when he feels a small kick in response. “I hope you heard that conversation I had with your mother. It’s very easy to get her to say or think what you want, you just have to be able to do the dance. It’s a little take here, a little give there. She just wants to hear what she likes. Have to stroke her ego. Our position here in high society is important to her. Her looks are important to her. _Vanity, thy name is woman_. Shakespeare never actually wrote that, my boy, common misconception. The idea that she has some control is important to her. In a perfect world, there would be no need for her. It would just be me and you, my son.” Martin’s thumb circles in a comforting motion. Jessica loudly exhales and Martin holds his tongue. He waits a few minutes before resuming the motion.

”Malcolm, your mother is wrong. I’m not a perfect man. I’m just good at giving her what she wants, and in return she gives me the space I need to be my imperfect self. I have wants, _needs_ , that our perfect little charade of a family couldn’t sustain. I learned over time how to shape myself to be what the world wants to see. As you get older I will begin to teach you the ways of the world, the ways of this world your mother and I live in, and the ways of _my_ world. As far as Jessica is concerned, I am seeing another woman, but in reality I’m seeing the truth of humanity and science. I am researching the endurance and beautiful weaknesses of the human body. A passion I’m hoping to pass on to you, my boy. Like father, like son.” A series of rapid kicks stops Martin in his tracks.

”My boy, please, no reason to be scared. I’ve been carrying out this research for a few years now. I’m well practiced and have full confidence in my ability to keep both of us safe.” Martin’s voice suddenly drops in volume.

”Jessica said she wants you to turn out just like me, a perfect man, a perfect image of your father. I had to disagree with her just a little. Put up a little bit of fight for good show, but in all honesty, Malcolm, I _do_ want that for you. I want it for _me_. I could pass on my name, my interests, my research. Think of all we could accomplish together, my boy. We’d be unstoppable. God, I cannot wait to bring you into this world, into _my_ world. You’d be the perfect protege. The perfect son. The perfect image of your father, just like your mother and I want. You’d be just like me, my boy. You’d be my son.”


End file.
